emigrant

An emigrant is a person who leaves their country of origin to settle in another country. The term emphasizes the act of departure from the homeland and is typically defined from the perspective of the country left behind. In discussions of migration, emigrant is often paired with immigrant, which refers to a person who moves into a new country.

Etymology: The word emigrant comes from the French émigrant, from Latin emigratus, formed from ex- 'out' and migrare 'to move.' It entered English in the early modern period and has since appeared in official statistics, historical writing, and everyday usage.

Scope: Emigration may be voluntary or forced. People leave for economic opportunity, education, family reasons, or political instability, persecution, or natural disasters. Government policies, borders, and global networks influence the scale and destinations of out-migration.

Impact and examples: Emigration has shaped the demographics and cultures of both origin and destination regions. Large historical waves include Europeans leaving for the Americas in the 18th–20th centuries and later movements from Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean to other continents. In statistics, emigration is the outflow component of population movement, with immigration representing the inflow.

See also: Immigration, Emigration, Migrant, Diaspora, Refugee.